This invention relates to a telecommunications data conferencing platform.
Telecommunications data conferencing platforms are already known. One example of a known data conferencing platform is the Databeam Net.120 System supplied by Databeam Corporation of Lexington, Ky., USA. A data conferencing platform typically comprises a reservation system and a data server. When an organiser wishes to establish a data conference, the organiser contacts the reservation system to reserve a time and date for the conference. The reservation system then confirms the details of the conference to the organiser. These details typically include an identifier for the conference and a password. The organiser then forwards these details to the participants to the conference. While the conference is in progress, the data conferencing platform transmits conference data, such as drawings and text, between terminals used by the participants. Thus, the participants share data during the conference.
Unfortunately, with the presently known data conferencing platforms, it is sometimes possible for an unauthorised third party to gain access to the reservation system and thus obtain details of a conference. Using these details, the unauthorised third party can sometimes gain access to data transmitted during the conference.
According to this invention, there is provided a data conferencing platform for providing a data conference between participants, said data conferencing platform having first and second zones, said data conferencing platform comprising:
a reservation system located in the first zone;
a data server located in the second zone and arranged to be connected to a communications network; and
an interface between the first and second zones, the reservation system being connected through the interface to the data server;
the reservation system being arranged to make conference reservations;
the data server being arranged to receive details of a data conference from the reservation system and to pass conference data between communications terminals used by participants to a data conference;
the interface between the first and second zones being arranged to restrict the passage of messages from the second zone to the first zone to messages which originate directly in the second zone but allow the passage of conference data.
The expression xe2x80x9cmessages which originate directly in the second zonexe2x80x9d is intended to cover messages which are created inside the second zone but to exclude messages which arise outside the second zone and pass through it to the interface. A first message might, for example, be created outside the second zone and be transmitted thereinto. The interface would not permit the passage of the first message from the second zone to the first zone. Were a server to take, for example, some or all of the information content of the first message however and create a second message, the interface would permit the passage of the second message from the second zone to the first zone. It will be appreciated that the messaging protocol associated with the first and second messages of this example may be different.
The messaging protocol associated with the first and second message might however be the same if mere authentication of the first message took place. The second message (an authenticated version of the first message) would originate directly in the second zone and could thus pass to the first zone.